1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the sport of baseball and more particularly to an improved game and playing field wherein the pace of play is increased.
2. Antecedents of the Invention
Baseball has been an integral component of American culture for more than a century. Walt Whitman's 1855 epic, Leaves of Grass, foretold the significance of this sport: “I See Great Things in Baseball, It's Our Game—The American Game”. 
While baseball has gained immense popularity since its inception, the popularity of the sport in recent years has declined. Among young sports fans, games having a more accelerated pace such as basketball have eroded some of the popularity of baseball. The decline in favor of more exciting games is believed to be attributable, in part, to the pace and length of professional baseball games.
In a March 2002 CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll, 29% of baseball fans indicated that major league baseball games were too long and 31% of the fans indicated specifically that the length of time between pitches was an annoyance.
A baseball commentator has indicated that one of the best ways to complete a game in less than 3 hours is to have pitchers work more efficiently. By cutting the pitch count from 285 pitches to 270 pitches would reduce playing time by approximately 9 minutes and bring the average playing time down to 2 hours, 47 minutes.
Attempts have been suggested to increase the pace of baseball by raising the pitcher's mound to 13″ above home plate, rather than the standard 10½″, in order to shorten the game and make pitches more difficult to hit.
It has also been considered to shorten the time between innings and reduce the number of warm-up pitches to quicken the pace of the game.
By reducing the 15 to 20 second idle time between successive pitches, which can account for up to an hour of a 3 hour game, the length of a baseball game can be reduced considerably and the pace of the game increased to provide a more enjoyable experience for spectators.